Mashing temp

[Xantechdp]

One thing about brewing that stresses me; mash temp. I use the formula, typically having a strike temp of around 160F with 9 gallons of water BIAB to shoot for low 150's. In the end this seems to work once I drink a brew and chill but I'm bothered by the fact that when I stir the wort i get readings all over the place. I can get anywhere from 145-158F. When I leave the probe roughly centered and don't stir it reads ~152F. I don't understand what is going on in that magical brew pot. Is there some kind of thermal dynamic hocus pocus going on or what?should I not stir and just go by the center temp? Does the grain inhibit convection cells? When I try to keep the entire pot constant it just stresses me out maintaining low 150's. Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

[balrog]

I stir like dickens to homogenize temps in the volume
I take off burner at strike temp and stir again and then move thermometer all over volume to see this and stir if not homogeneous (I have 12" probe on Chef Alarm so I get top/bottom/sides/inside/outside/shakeitallarounddothefunkychicken.

Then I dump and stir grains. I also BIAB and grind with corona to dust. I stir like the dickens again, or maybe like the Dostoevsky, and let it sit 2-3min as I wrap the reflectrix around the kettle. Then I swirly twirly the thermometer all around to get the best idea of the overall temp.

Overkill? OCD? Obsessed? Why, yes, and you must've been talking to my wife.

 

[LittleRiver]

Temp stratification in a kettle is a normal thing. When I'm ramping up to mash temp I don't bother with stirring, but once I get close to mash temp I do stir to help even out stratifications before taking a reading.

Once I stir in the grains, I put the lid on then cover the whole shebang with a sleeping bag, and leave it alone for an hour.

I use a thermometer with a remote probe, so I can monitor the temps even when it's closed up. But there really is no need, because I typically stay within 1degF for the whole hour.

 

[mongoose33]

You have to stir well.

The grain actually acts like an insulation, in that you won't get very good homogeneous temp as you might with other mediums.

So stir, drawing up the mash from the bottom and making sure you don't just stir around, but also up and down. What also helps is doing that when you're doughing in.

 

[mongoose33]

One thing about brewing that stresses me; mash temp.

If you're stressing about brewing, you're doing it wrong.

 

[Xantechdp]

If you're stressing about brewing, you're doing it wrong.

I hear you; "Relax. Have a home brew."

 

[hottpeper13]

Get a whisk and you're homogeneous in 30 sec! I stir a little but mostly just pump it up and down.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Stir well twice, take a break for a few minutes then stir well twice again, then get out your thermometer.

Ime it takes much longer and much more stirring and waiting than one would think for temps to stabilize and be uniform throughout the mash.

With patience and mixing you will get there....if your temps are not uniform, your impatient or a bad stirrer or both

 

[bracconiere]

i do step mashes in a 10 gal round cooler, when i add a gal of boiling wort back....i get 158f, just a few inches from 163f....and i'm talking a surface area of what, 14"'s? stir, stir...(personaly i always end up with an alcoholic drink at the end of the week)